Determining micro-climates based on weather-related sensor data from mobile devices

• US 9,772,428 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Asrani, Vijay L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Paulinho E
• Application Number:
  US14/283,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20140372360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 2001/006 Main server receiving weather information from several sub-stations

Abstract

Certain example implementations of the disclosed technology can include techniques and apparatuses for determining micro-climates based on weather-related sensor data from mobile devices. In some embodiments, current and projected micro-climates can be determined for multiple micro-locations. With micro-climate information, a user may better plan his or her day, including what to wear, which path to walk to work, and what activities to plan.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving current interpretable weather-related sensor data from mobile devices associated with users, the current interpretable weather-related sensor data sensed by the mobile devices at a micro-location; and

determining, based on;

     1) the current interpretable weather-related sensor data,

     2) an historic model correlating weather conditions and sensor data, and

     3) historic location data for the micro-location, the historic location data for the micro-location indicating a likelihood of various weather conditions, a current micro-climate for the micro-location, wherein the micro-location is an area of two blocks or less.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the historic model correlates historic weather conditions and historic weather-related sensor data and determining the current micro-climate for the micro-location includes determining similarities between the current interpretable weather-related sensor data and the historic weather-related sensor data.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the current micro-climate for the micro-location is further based on historic user-specific data for one of the users from which current interpretable weather-related sensor data is received, the historic user-specific data for the one user indicating a correlation between the weather conditions and the one user'"'"'s current interpretable weather-related sensor data.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the current micro-climate for the micro-location is further based on a determined, current micro-climate for a neighboring micro-location, the micro-location being a street or alleyway and the neighboring micro-location being another street or alleyway roughly parallel to the street or alleyway, or the neighboring micro-location being an immediately adjacent one-block or two-block area to the micro-location.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing the current micro-climate to a user, a request having been received from the user or the user having been projected to soon be at the micro-location.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising determining a projected micro-climate for the micro-location based on the current micro-climate and providing the projected micro-climate.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein determining the projected micro-climate for the micro-location is further based on multi-time micro-climates for neighboring micro-locations.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the current interpretable weather-related sensor data includes one or more of:

an audio recording of a microphone of one the mobile devices;

an orientation of one the mobile devices;

a movement read by an accelerometer of one of the mobile devices;

an image or video recording of a camera of one the mobile devices;

an on or off condition of one the mobile devices;

or an effectiveness of a touch screen of one the mobile devices.

9. A method comprising:

correlating historic weather conditions to historic weather-related sensor data sensed by mobile devices, the historic weather-related sensor data being sensor data that does not explicitly indicate a weather condition and including one or more of;

an audio recording of a microphone of one the mobile devices;

an orientation of one the mobile devices;

a movement read by an accelerometer of one of the mobile devices;

an image or video recording of a camera of one the mobile devices;

an on or off condition of one the mobile devices;

or

an effectiveness of a touch screen of one the mobile devices; and

determining an historic model based on the correlations of the historic weather conditions and the historic weather-related sensor data, the historic model for predicting micro-climates associated with corresponding micro-locations, wherein a micro-location comprises an area of two blocks or less, and wherein predicting the micro-climates is based on weather-related sensor data received from the mobile devices.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the mobile devices include smart phones, tablet computers, smart watches, smart glasses, or smart rings, each of the mobile devices capable of sensing at least one of the one or more historic weather-related sensor data.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein correlating historic weather conditions correlates historic weather conditions of a geographical region to historic weather-related sensor data sensed at micro-locations within the geographical region and the historic model predicts micro-climates at the micro-locations within the geographical regions.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein correlating historic weather conditions correlates historic weather conditions of a people group to historic weather-related sensor data sensed by mobile devices associated with users of that people group.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising receiving explicit user feedback related to a micro-climate determined based on the historic model, the explicit user feedback confirming, correcting, or rejecting the micro-climate and, based on the explicit user feedback, altering the historic model.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the explicit user feedback is for a particular micro-location and altering the historic model alters the historic model for the particular micro-location.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having processor-executable instructions thereon that, responsive to execution by a processor, perform operations comprising:

receiving current micro-climates for micro-locations, the micro-locations comprising an area of two blocks or less, the current micro-climates received at a computing device associated with a user;

determining the projected micro-locations of the user, the determining based at least in part on the user'"'"'s calendar, the user'"'"'s history, and/or the user'"'"'s current location; and

presenting, in a user interface on the computing device, one or more of the current micro-climates along with one or more projected micro-locations of the user, the presented current micro-climates visually associated with the presented projected micro-locations of the user.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15, further comprising presenting, in the user interface, a map including a projected path for the user, the projected path including the projected micro-locations and the presented current micro-climates.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 16, further comprising presenting, in the user interface, an alternative path for the user, the alternative path providing other current micro-climates superior to the current micro-climates of the projected path and having a same final location as the projected path.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein determining the projected micro-locations of the user is based on a user calendar, user history, or current location of the user, the calendar indicating sufficient information to determine micro-locations, the user history including prior global or regional location data of the user, the current location indicating current global or regional location data for the user.